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Bailey shrieked. “They did? I thought it was never going to happen!”
Relieved, he hadn’t realized how much he’d been hoping to get that answer. Even if he hadn’t expected it today, it worked. Wes hugged her close as she wrapped her arms around his neck. “Walking distance from the ice cream parlor.”
Both Bailey and the agent chuckled. “Your patience paid off, and they’re willing to close before school starts.”
Wes envisioned back-to-school front-porch pictures and, when they were ready, Bailey pregnant with another child. Matt had already put in a request now that they were living together. He expected a baby any day now, no matter how Bailey explained the birds and the bees in a scientifically correct but five-year-old-appropriate way.
“What are you going to do to celebrate?” their agent asked.
Bailey unwound herself and held the phone between them again. “Friends are grilling out not too far from the house. We’ll probably walk by and stare at it for a bit.”
The agent chuckled. “Have fun with that.”
Bailey ended the call and, with a swing in her step, took his hand. “I don’t think this day can get any better. It’s perfect out. We got the house—maybe we should call my parents?”
On a corner lot, behind the backyard and trees, the house had a second dwelling with its own driveway. They wanted Bailey’s parents to move in. Everyone would have their own space but be close enough to lean on family.
“What if we call them when we’re done with our walk?” he suggested.
“You’re right. We’ll be back inside. Less noise so they can hear us better.”
Not exactly his reasoning, but it worked. He guided her toward Magnolia Boulevard.
“Where are we going?”
He shrugged. They’d made a habit of walking Main Street in the afternoon while Matt was at a summer program. “A different loop around the block than we normally do.”
She slowed at the little park they’d stopped in when Bailey and Matt arrived in Granite Creek. “Do you remember getting ice cream that first night?”
“With crystal clear clarity.” He’d thought he knew what he wanted from her, and that hadn’t been a fraction of what he’d realized they could have together.
Bailey dropped her head back and stared at the magnolia tree anchoring the brick courtyard. “Do you ever think about how many people have sat under this tree, wondering, hoping, praying, manifesting? Just telling the universe what they needed.”
He’d done all of that in this park. Wes needed her. He needed Matt. He needed their future. He pulled the ring from his pocket and dropped to his knee.
Bailey turned. Genuine surprise froze on her face before she stepped closer. Her hands covered her chest. “Wes…”
“You and Matt taught me what family could mean,” he said.
Her fingers clasped, and bright happiness shone in her beautiful eyes.
“Bailey,” he swallowed hard. “Baby, you’ve shown me a future I didn’t know was possible. That happily ever after isn’t pumpkin carriages and magic wands. It’s finding your ride-or-die to survive the conflicts life throws at you.”
She was nodding as tears slipped down her cheeks.
“We will triumph over all of it. Every time. Together. Will you marry me?”
“Yes.”
He reached for her hand and slid on the ring. Bailey fell onto him, arms wrapped around his neck. He lifted her up and swung her around until they were kissing.
“What do you say we grab Matt, call your parents, then head to the Hales’?” he asked.
“Yes, to all of the above.”
As dinnertime rolled around, Matt led the charge to Callum and Grace’s house. Wes carried a platter of watermelon slices, and Bailey carried the champagne to share their good news with friends.
A delicious scent hung in the air, and they rounded into the backyard. Callum and Gage stood next to the new smoker Callum had been talking about all week. Alicia, Jules, and Scarlett arranged side dishes on a long table.
